


a snowy evening

by SlowMercury



Category: James Asher Vampire Series - Barbara Hambly
Genre: Gen, Lydia is Lady Not Appearing In This Fic, Post-Canon, Post-War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-18
Updated: 2020-12-18
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:53:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,440
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28145658
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SlowMercury/pseuds/SlowMercury
Summary: James and Simon have a long overdue conversation.
Relationships: James Asher & Simon Ysidro
Comments: 4
Kudos: 19
Collections: Yuletide 2020





	a snowy evening

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Lyrstzha](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lyrstzha/gifts).



> Happy Yuletide, Lyrstzha! I hope it's a good one.

_January 8, 1919_

James Asher awoke with a start, gaze darting around the interior of his small bedroom.He thought he’d heard a noise, but —

Nothing.

Asher grabbed his pistol from under his pillow, checked the loop of the silver chains around his wrists, and then staggered up from his bed as quickly and quietly as he could.He prowled—well, if _prowled_ meant _limped silently_ —a circuit around his bedroom before easing the hall door open and venturing down it to check on the rest of the house.

All was as it should be.He was still in upstate New York, hidden away from the dangers of the Department, Aunt Louise and the Spanish Flu alike.The war was over.Miranda was slumbering safely in her bed, exhausted from a day of exploring the nearby woods in the company of one of her beloved parents.Snow fell outside the windows, heavy and silent, and a cold draft wafted in the halls.

Asher entered the kitchen, turned on a light, and was unsurprised to see that sometime between his initial investigation of the room and now, Don Simon Ysidro had seated himself at the dinner table.It was the first time they’d met in person in years — they hadn’t seen each other face to face since the outbreak of the Great War — and it was the first time they’d met outside of a crisis or dreams since Asher had sworn to kill every vampire he could.

In the first blink, Ysidro looked like a young, pale nobleman; in the next, Asher could make out the waxy, corpse-like pallor of Ysidro’s features and the thick scars from injuries that Simon had gained in the defense of Asher’s family.Asher blinked again, and the two images faded together, blurring around the edges.

“James,” Ysidro said, tilting his head in polite greeting.“Forgive me my intrusion, but Mistress Asher asked me to bring you a message.”

Asher did not say “Welcome to my home,” because he was not precisely sure that Simon _was_ welcome.The tangle of emotions that Simon evoked in Asher—a furious ball of guilt and sadness and affectionate trust—had never helped Asher unravel what the right thing to do was.Not with Ysidro, anyway.Instead, Asher said, “It is good to see your face, Don Simon,” and it was, despite everything, true. 

Ysidro must have read the sincerity in Asher’s trite sentiments, because the sweet, quicksilver smile that flashed across his face echoed the warmth of the man he had once been.

“There are staff shortages at the hospital, so the Mistress will not return home next week,” Ysidro told him, “and she believes it is unlikely she will be able to return within in the month, but she sends her love to you and Miranda.”

“I see,” said Asher.Lydia was working down in New York City, fighting the influenza epidemic as a nurse and scientific researcher.When he arrived in America Asher had wanted to remain by her side, but a war spent spying and starving undercover in a succession of prisons on the Eastern front had shattered his health.Asher tired easily now, and it was sometimes impossible for him to walk without the aid of a cane — a far cry from his youth, when Asher could jump off of a roof like a squirrel and then run for miles.In light of this development, Asher and Lydia had agreed it was better that he take Miranda out of the city and wait for Lydia to visit them during her scant time off.

None of that explained why Lydia asked Simon to bear Asher this non-urgent message when she could easily have mailed a note or, if necessary, a telegram.Asher suspected he knew, though.

“Lydia tells me you are much altered,” Asher said slowly.What he really meant was _Have you truly stopped killing for food?_

“I am,” Ysidro agreed.“Although there is no guarantee, I have come to believe that the change is permanent, after my recovery from the initial incident.”Which was a fine way to say _torture and enslavement_. 

“How are you doing?”

“It has been an adjustment, albeit a welcome one,” Ysidro said.“After centuries of near stagnation as a vampire, where change only occurred so gradually I might as well have been frozen in time, and I am transformed into something entirely new in less than a sennight.”He paused.“My hunger is greatly abated, James, perhaps even gone,” he continued.“I find, now, the idea of hunting repulses me.I have not fed upon a human in nearly two years, and I have not yet weakened.”

Asher’s eyes slid shut briefly; he knew that Ysidro could hear Asher’s heartbeat speed up at this confession.Of course Lydia had told Asher all of this already, but somehow it was different hearing it directly from Simon.

“I’m glad,” Asher said simply.He could feel his mouth lifting up almost involuntarily into a slight, delighted curve.“What else has changed?”

Simon shrugged elegantly.“I remain vulnerable to silver,” he said, “and garlic seems even more odious to me now.I have not attempted to test sunlight.My psychical powers are greatly augmented, but inconsistently so — sometimes I could reach into your dreams in Russia from New York, but other times I was nearly incapable of extending past the city limits.Lydia theorizes that the nights I was able to reach you coincided with the full moon or new moon high tides, but she says there must be some other contributing factors we have yet to account for.” 

Asher nodded, curious as always, but at this moment he had a more important thing to say to Ysidro.“Your dream visits were greatly appreciated, Simon, especially the first one.I do believe I could have gone mad, not knowing if Lydia, and you, survived.” 

Asher slowly reached out, taking Simon’s hand in a gentle, well-telegraphed move.Although Simon said nothing, Asher got the distinct impression he was startled from the swift, careful flex of Ysidro’s grave-chilled fingers in Asher’s warm hold.

“Even after I learned that you were all recovering, safely ashore,” Asher continued, “you returned to visit my dreams.Not often, and I suspect not easily, but you still returned to me.At a time when I was cold, imprisoned and spying on my only companions in order to betray them for king and country, you kept me informed about my family — you told me about Lydia’s struggles with Aunt Louise, and Miranda’s first American friend.Whenever it was getting to be too much, you gave me something to think about other than how miserable I was.” 

Asher squeezed Simon’s clawed hand gently.

“It was a tremendous kindness, Simon, and I am truly grateful for it.”

There was a sudden _whump_ as snow blew off the roof and hit the ground.Asher withdrew his hand and settled back into his chair.

“Have you found any vampires in the New World?” he asked.

Ysidro shook his head gravely.“I’ve not seen any sign of those who hunt the night here,” he replied, “excepting myself, and I am a strange example of my species these days.I did once catch a hint of an odor that reminded me of the Others when I passed a subway entrance, but the smell was sweeter than the one I knew and, although I searched, I never encountered it again.”

“Interesting,” Asher murmured consideringly.“Please let me know if you discover more.”

“More vampires or more elusive scents?”

“Both, of course,” Asher said. “Since I am recently returned from the war, I needed a project to brush up my lapsed academic credentials, and I realized this was the perfect opportunity to make a new translation of _The Book of the Kindred of Darkness_.It would be most helpful if you could be convinced to contribute in your capacity as a primary source.Any insights into vampire weaknesses would be especially valued.”

There was a beat of unnatural stillness before Simon broke into soft peals of laughter.“I will be delighted to contribute to your updated version of _The Book of the Kindred of Darkness_ , however personally inconvenient it turns out to be.”

Asher smiled almost involuntarily back at Simon.“I will give you a signed copy when it’s completed,” he promised.“And perhaps I won’t mention too many of the vulnerabilities of your new stage of vampire evolution.”

The wind hissed outside and threw snow up against the walls, but inside, where two unlikely friends sat reunited in the warmth of the kitchen, it was peaceful and secure.


End file.
